Lonely hide & seek
by The awesome aog
Summary: There is more than one way of causing tragedy. Hibiya, Hiyori and the fact that something called "Love" can lead to a variety of things. HibiHyo. Character death. Canonical AU


_Lonely hide and seek_

* * *

There's something wrong; Hibiya can feel it in the air. The day was bright and the clouds fluffy; but too much so. It was almost overwhelming, a picture from a child's picture book.

Hiyori pets the cat beside him, completely and utterly at ease. In fact, she laughs, the sound like tiny bells chiming. Hibiya smiles at this, but his shoulders are tense and there is definitely _something_ , something bad, something hostile. But Hiyori laughs again, and drags Hibiya into it as well. He pushes the feeling aside because there is nothing else he can do, though something is lurking, something is imminent.

But, eventually, the thought of something is carried away by the overly cheerful wind. And, in reality, there are only two children smiling whimsically at the temporary joy of a summer's day.

* * *

 **I. Because I Care**

* * *

Hiyori is beautiful, Hiyori is talented and, above all, Hiyori knows this.

So she soaks it up; the praise and admiration. She is the queen and they are her adoring servants, who live only to please. But Hiyori is not, by any means, an evil queen, no, no. She is benevolent and does her servants petty favors, as all great queens do.

All her female classmates are her best friends, and those who aren't are simply _jealous, jealous, jealous_. But they can be pardoned, for in all honesty, who wouldn't be jealous of a _queen?_

All her male classmates adore her, some definitely more than others, but every single one none the less. She may ask them for anything, the _slightest_ of pouts, a hopeful look in her eye, and they'd concede just like that.

Hibiya is just one of many subjects. He claims his "devotion" goes well beyond normal. Hiyori is not particularly amused; he is but one of many and has no real importance; he is of average height, average looks and average back-round. But Hiyori does her servants petty favors and indulges him with the grace of her presence.

* * *

Some teachers liked Hiyori.

Others not so much.

They found her implied "holier than thou" attitude pretentious and her hold over other students repulsive.

She was good at school, that much was true. But her effort in class was lazy at best and when she didn't bring in her homework, and she often didn't, she dismissed it with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders. Then the lecturing began and she wouldn't yawn, wouldn't roll her eyes, just stare straight ahead with cool indifference. That would rile the teacher up further, leaving him a spluttering ball of anger.

And the class would laugh.

Snicker.

Giggle.

The power she had held steadfast. All the while, Hiyori smiled sweetly.

Things changed though. Hibiya, average-height, average-looks, average-back-round – Hibiya, changed it.

Once, just before the daily lecturing began, he raised his hand, "Wait. I have Hiyori's homework."

Silence fell onto the class like Canadian snow, leaving nothing bare. The teacher marched over, snatched the paper, scanned it over once and in a clipped voice told Hiyori to move back to her seat. On her way, she neither looked at, nor acknowledged the offender.

The rest of the class seemed to pass with the slowness of a winter in the Arctic. And, afterwards when there was no one left in class, he approached her, starring with innocent eyed devotion.

"I-,"

"Don't _ever_ overstep your boundaries again." She hissed, cutting him off.

With a harsh shove and a harsh glare, Hiyori the Queen walked away.

Completely and utterly, _unnerved._

* * *

The next day, with the calmness and tranquility a good queen should have, she reprimanded herself.

He was just a stupid, adoring peasant boy who had over-stepped himself, she reasoned, _one of many._

One who had cracked her perfection.

She _had_ lost her cool. But that was a mistake easily remedied. Just a few soft spoken words, kind smiles and he would adore her again, she was certain.

Then, the next day, the performance repeated.

Only this time, he spoke first,

"You're cute when you're mad."

Spluttering, blushing and indignant, she yelled at him, "S-shut up."

Promptly hit him on the head.

And then ran away.

* * *

He was breaking her routine, she seethed.

But the fact that infuriated her wasn't that. Oh, no.

It was- it was his words. Sure, boys paid her compliments all the time. But no classmate _had ever_ seen her _so disgruntled_. And Hibiya- this was almost _laughable_ of it wasn't so disturbing- _liked_ it.

It repeated. _Again_.

"I _really_ like you."

"Go to hell."

"but-,"

"I'm serious."

* * *

And again.

"I know you'll say no, but I have to ask; will you go out with me?"

"I'd rather pluck my eyes out with forks. _With. Forks._ "

"…"

* * *

 _And again._

"This needs to stop."

"Huh, but why?"

"It just needs to."

"but you'll get in trouble."

"I don't care."

"…I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

* * *

Until _it_ became routine.

This time, Hiyori just sighed.

* * *

Valentine's day rolled around again and so Hiyori's mood lifted. With a triumphant smile she carefully put all her chocolates into her locker for later. She closed the door gracefully, and recounted in her head, with no little amount of arrogance, the amount of chocolate she had gotten this year. 96% of the boys and only 88% girls presented her with the sweet substance, all varying in quality and quantity, some store bought, some homemade, but she made sure to meet all the gestures with a blushing, "Thank you."

And Hiyori, as Queen, would give it to all, even the jealous ones. It was easy, her chef prepared it and she gave it away. She simpered humbly at every, "Wow, you're such a good cook, Hiyori-san." Every, "Perfect. As expected from someone like you."

She was glowing for the entirety of it.

And then something shattered her perfect reverie.

Well, it wasn't bad _per se_ but it made her think.

And thinking almost always led to BAD THOUGHTS, which were to be avoided at all costs.

She was just about to leave when a voice caught her attention. Curious, she decided to "accidently" over hear. It wasn't like it mattered- she would hear the gossip news tomorrow, she need only ask.

"Th-this is for you, H-hibiya-kun." And that caught her attention.

She decided it would be best to "accidentally" peek too. She recognized the girl immediately, Suzumi Hayazawa, a timid, mouse like girl, pretty in sense with that "Girl next door" look and she was, Hiyori noticed this from narrowing eyes, holding out a decorated parcel out to Hibiya.

Hiyori nearly wrinkled nose. 'There's no accounting for taste,' she thought drily but stayed anyways.

Only to watch, of course. What did she care about any of this? Her "most loyal" servant was going to be loyal to someone else now. Big deal. She had tones more.

"Sorry, but… I can't accept this."

"W-what?"

"Y'see, I'm in love with someone else and it wouldn't be right for me to give or receive any chocolate but from that person."

The weight in her pocket suddenly grew ten-fold. Hibiya's homemade chocolate. She was just about to throw it away to show him _she didn't care_.

And she didn't.

 _But_ , she looked at it, unwrapped the paper and raised it to her mouth, _there wouldn't really be any point in wasting perfectly good chocolate_.

And, mind you, Hiyori commented in her head, Hibiya was not _that bad_

…Of a cook, anyhow.

* * *

Hiyori clenched the paper in her hand till it was as wrinkled as her grandmother. She was insane, she was sure of it.

Reasonably, she wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. She had to give it to someone eventually. Otherwise there'd be no point in having the device at all. Her resolve nowhere near firm, she called out to him, "Hey, Hibiya."

He turned around, no doubt startled, but before he could even manage a confused, "huh?" the paper was forcefully pushed into his face. With military like precision and Queen like dignity, Hiyori walked away.

"Wait, wait! What is this?"

"My phone number."

Hiyori thanked god she had turned around when she did because for some unfathomable reason, her cheeks were painted red.

* * *

At school, Hiyori is a Queen. At home, she is imperfection.

The Ashahinas are a traditional, elite family and they expect nothing less from their daughters than _the very best_. Daughters. Plural.

Hiyori has an older sister, Ayaka, and Ayaka is perfection.

Everything she does Ayaka has done and _better_ _("You got a 96%? What a shame. Your big sister would have gotten 100, no doubt." / "Your flower arrangements are pleasant, but perhaps a little more… sentimentality? Ayaka would know. Go, ask her."/ "Honestly, Hiyori can you stop being so self-obsessed for a second. Just look at humble Ayaka-,")_

Hiyori is a Queen. Ayaka is a goddess. And the world spins.

One gloomy, monotonous, afternoon, Hibiya came to her Villa, formally dressed and bearing flowers.

Apparently, to ask for "permission.*"

It was no surprise when he was promptly thrown out of the house.

Hiyori couldn't help but laugh, partly out of pity and partly because-

* * *

The sunset was bleeding red, staining the cotton candy clouds. _Grotesque._

Hiyori stared at it.

"Why do you care?"

"Huh?"

"About me- why do you care about me?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Who would care about a person without a reason?"

"Heh, fair enough."

"So…?"

"Well, to be honest, you're kind of spoiled… And melodramatic."

"Hmph."

"You didn't let me finish!... Well, yeah… you are spoiled and selfish but you're really kind to."

"Kind? You think _I'm_ kind?"

"An unkind person wouldn't be so good with animals. You're also strong-willed and _you know_ who you are. You're brave. You're level headed. You may _seem_ like a self centered ice princess at first but you're a complex person. You're amazing."

"…..Thank you, Hibiya." _For caring._

* * *

It was 3 years later on that very afternoon, August fifteenth, that something loomed over them, menacing.

To be short, there was a girl, a boy, a swing set and a cat. That cat ran, the girl did like-so and the boy followed. There was a car.

And then there was blood.

* * *

 _A/N: Well. I suppose that's that._

 _*I'm not entirely sure about the popularity and/or authenticity of this tradition, but in Japan, Males often ask "Permission" from the parents before dating the daughter. Think of it as getting a blessing before marriage. It's also used to show the boy's seriousness and commitment to the relationship._

 _I wanted to write something HibiHyo as there is a desperate lack of it in the fandom, somewhere or the other it turned into something light and fluffy to something that more closely resembles the original themes of kagerou days. I wanted to write something believable and in character without making the love unrequited, as is the more probable canon. Did I pull it off? Well, that's up to you._

 _Anyways, on to the story itself- I suppose most of you are surprised by the ending and the beginning. The fact is this is foremost a Horror story. It showed a bit in this chapter, it'll show more in the next and by the third, it'll all be clear. So, if you're expecting more fluff, you should probably turn back soon._

 _And that's it, I guess._

 _R &R._


End file.
